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The report examines 12 blended finance case studies across sectors like restoration, bioeconomy, and the blue economy to demonstrate how to attract private investment into Nature-based Solutions (NbS). It argues that because nature is often a public good with difficult-to-monetize benefits, the public sector must play a critical role in creating enabling ecosystems through technical assistance and concessional capital. Key findings highlight that guarantees are among the most effective tools for mitigating risk, while engaging direct beneficiaries (such as insurance companies or utilities) can create sustainable revenue streams. The document details specific instruments, such as the Galápagos debt-for-nature swap and the Seychelles Blue Bond, to provide replicable models for G20 countries.

The report examines the application of blended finance to scale Nature-based Solutions (NbS), highlighting that while no single approach exists, tools like guarantees, technical assistance, and the engagement of direct beneficiaries are critical for de-risking investments. Through 12 case studies, it demonstrates how concessional capital can be used to build ecosystems, prove commercial viability, and mobilize private investment in nascent markets. Key examples include the Galápagos Debt Conversion and the Seychelles Blue Bond, which use credit enhancements to lower the cost of capital for marine conservation.

The report analyzes the federal permitting process for high-capacity electric transmission lines in the U.S., identifying systemic delays caused by poor interagency coordination, capacity shortages, and regulatory misalignment between federal and state authorities. Based on a dataset of 37 projects and case studies, it argues that while litigation is often cited as a primary barrier, it is rarely the sole cause of project failure. The authors recommend that the President prioritize transmission as a national priority, that Congress consolidate siting authority for multi-state projects, and that agencies adopt more agile, transparent, and collaborative environmental review processes, including expanded use of programmatic EISs and categorical exclusions.

The 2023 update on the 70 largest public financial institutions (PFIs) shows minimal progress in climate commitments, with only two institutions adding new net zero or Paris alignment targets. Analysis of smaller PFIs in emerging markets and developing economies indicates that climate mainstreaming is driven more by shareholder government support than by institutional capacity.

The report argues that climate and biodiversity crises disproportionately affect marginalized groups and that nature-based solutions (NbS) must integrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) to be effective. It outlines three core components of GESI in NbS: recognizing differences in needs and capacities, facilitating equitable participation in decision-making, and promoting the fair distribution of benefits. The document provides a five-step implementation cycle—system understanding, risk assessment, option identification, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)—supported by case studies from Vietnam, Cuba, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Bolivia.

The brief presents evidence from the Gender Equality in a Low Carbon World (GLOW) programme, demonstrating that integrating gender-responsive policies and women's empowerment into business models enhances the productivity and viability of climate-smart SMEs. It highlights specific successes in aquaculture, hydroponics, and solar irrigation across Africa and Latin America, while urging impact investors and public financiers to adopt gender-lens investment strategies to unlock untapped markets and improve social equity.

The report finds that gender-responsive climate blended finance is scarce, with only 22% of climate deals in Convergence's database meeting the criteria. In the energy sector, gender focus is more prevalent in off-grid projects (28%) than on-grid projects (11%), largely due to the domestic nature of off-grid energy needs. The document highlights the role of concessional capital, technical assistance (TA), and performance-based incentives in driving gender outcomes. It provides case studies of vehicles like the Green Guarantee Company and Catalyst Fund to illustrate how blended finance can support women-led enterprises and increase female labor participation in technical roles. Key recommendations include deploying TA alongside financial incentives and utilizing equity to influence gender policies at early stages.

This white paper argues for the critical importance of estuaries and mangroves in Central and South America for biodiversity, climate regulation, and coastal protection. It identifies threats such as climate change, pollution, and urbanization, and proposes a comprehensive framework for sustainable management. The report emphasizes the role of 'blue carbon' in climate mitigation and advocates for science diplomacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement. It provides specific case studies from the Coiba Archipelago in Panama and the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica to illustrate successful management and the need for continued restoration.

The document analyzes the role of digital technologies in peace mediation, focusing on how non-governmental Peace Facilitation Organizations (PFOs) integrate 'PeaceTech' and manage digital conflict. It explores the tension between the need for confidentiality in high-level negotiations and the potential for digital tools to increase transparency and inclusion in community-level dialogues. While acknowledging that digital platforms can reach new demographics, the authors argue that technology is not a guarantee of equitable representation and should complement rather than replace traditional mediation.

The document argues that Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) face a 'triple challenge' in transitioning to clean energy without compromising biodiversity or increasing poverty. While the region's electricity matrix is 69% renewable, its total energy consumption remains 74% dependent on fossil fuels. The brief highlights structural barriers, including high fiscal dependence on oil and gas exports and the risk of 'green extractivism' regarding critical minerals. It proposes a socio-ecological transition focused on community-led energy models, regional electrical integration, and a shift toward regenerative economies. The authors provide several regional case studies of community solar projects and offer policy recommendations for COP30, including the need for non-reimbursable climate finance and the elimination of fossil fuels without relying on 'false solutions' like fossil gas.

The document examines the role of urban informality—including unplanned settlements, unregistered economic activities, and unrecognized governance—in the context of rapid urbanization and climate change in southern Africa. It argues that while informality is often invisible or politically challenging, it provides critical services and livelihoods where formal systems fail. The brief recommends that city governments use 'bridging organizations' (such as NGOs and academic institutions) to mediate between formal and informal systems, create inclusive participatory spaces for innovative governance, and address the inequitable distribution of burdens and benefits associated with informal activities. Case studies from Cape Town, Malawi, Harare, and South African waste pickers illustrate how community-led responses and innovative finance can build resilience.

The report analyzes planning frameworks, negotiation methods, and financing models used by city water authorities (CWAs) in LMICs to secure resilient water supplies. It identifies that while tools like Scenario Analysis, Robust Decision Support (RDS), and Climate Risk-based Decision Analysis (CRIDA) exist, their implementation is often hindered by low technical capacity, data gaps, and reactive planning driven by crises. Successful negotiation often relies on incentivization, trusted intermediaries, and public buy-in, while financing varies from traditional tariffs and grants to innovative mechanisms like Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and water funds. Case studies from cities such as São Paulo, Cape Town, and Amman illustrate the practical application and challenges of these strategies.

The playbook argues that infrastructure is a primary driver of biodiversity loss and climate change, contributing approximately 79% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It advocates for a shift from 'no net loss' to 'nature-positive' development, where biodiversity gain is central to design. Based on an analysis of nearly 200 projects, the guide categorizes solutions across transport, energy, water, buildings, and coastal protection. Key findings highlight an implementation bias toward well-known solutions like reforestation, while more complex options like peatland restoration remain underutilized. The document emphasizes that nature-based solutions can complement or replace 'grey' infrastructure, offering superior adaptability to climate change and providing diverse co-benefits including improved water quality, carbon sequestration, and social well-being.

The document argues that the U.S. transition to electric vehicles risks leaving behind low-income, rural, and minority communities due to 'charging deserts' and financial barriers. It outlines five strategies for local governments to ensure equitable access: utilizing community input for siting, prioritizing multifamily housing and charging deserts, expanding urban curbside charging, increasing pricing transparency, and supporting diverse e-mobility modes. The guide emphasizes that overcoming disparities in homeownership and energy burdens is essential for a just energy transition.

The document argues that M&E is inherently connected to power and can either promote equity and resilience or reinforce dominance and exclusion. Through the analysis of six South African case studies, it identifies four 'enablers' for transformative M&E: contextualized learning, inclusive processes, increased agency for Global South actors in design, and institutional arrangements that ensure long-term continuity. It emphasizes that achieving equitable resilience requires shifting power dynamics and moving beyond funder-driven compliance toward locally-led development.

The report defines relinquishment as the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site from the operator to the next landowner after closure commitments are fulfilled. It identifies a global gap in clear relinquishment policies, noting that many jurisdictions either lack such frameworks or have processes that are difficult to achieve due to government risk aversion. The document highlights successful models in Saskatchewan, Queensland, and Chile, and proposes a six-step policy framework: requiring comprehensive closure plans, conducting independent inspections, establishing residual risk management plans, creating funding mechanisms, executing legal transfers, and implementing long-term monitoring.

The report outlines a framework for developing countries to bridge the adaptation finance gap through seven guiding principles. These are divided into process-related principles—emphasizing country-driven approaches, the engagement of finance ministries, and inclusivity—and content-related principles, which focus on the strategic use of diverse financial instruments, alignment with national development goals, improving the enabling environment, and establishing monitoring and evaluation processes. The report supports these principles with case studies from Kenya, Nepal, and Peru, highlighting that a financing strategy is a continuous process rather than a single document.

The document details a multi-stakeholder approach to ending plastic pollution, emphasizing source reduction, reuse systems, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). It advocates for a full life cycle approach that integrates environmental justice and data transparency to inform policy at local, state, and federal levels in the United States, while aligning with an upcoming global plastics treaty.

The report identifies barriers to private urban climate investments across macro, city, and project levels, while highlighting success factors such as supportive regulatory frameworks and transparent working practices. It provides targeted recommendations for city governments, national governments, international finance institutions, and private/third sector partners to enhance project preparation, risk mitigation, and capacity development to enable bankable climate investments in emerging economies.

Friends of the Earth International argues that systemic change requires dismantling the capitalist economic model, industrial agriculture, fossil-fuel-based energy, and patriarchal relations. The organization advocates for a transition toward food sovereignty, climate justice, and community-led biodiversity management, emphasizing the need to replace corporate power with popular sovereignty and solidarity. The guide provides specific examples of these pathways in action, including legal victories against Shell in the Netherlands, community forest management in Indonesia, and renewable energy initiatives in Palestine and Africa.